Right off the bat I think I should make it clear that while exciting things do happen in this book, this is largely a day to day accounting of what its like to be a novice exoveterinarian (exovet). Zenn is an engaging, if sometimes a bit too clinical, main character who grew up around practical people living in a harsh environment. While she worries about what's going on with her, those are secondary to the very real problems she's facing each day.

This sort of narrative tact can be frustrating at first. As a reader we can see a larger picture than the characters so when something happens that's obviously much more serious than the characters are giving it credit for, it can get irritating.

This happened a lot to me, especially in the beginning. Otha, Zenn's Uncle (and only actual family present), dismisses everything Zenn says to the point where Zenn wonders if she is just going crazy. Its not to say he doesn't make logical points, but the logical points serve no purpose. We know that Zenn is experiencing something 'supernatural'. We know that Zenn is not to be blamed for the mistakes occurring. There's no belief of tension at all.

Schoon is not subtle. Whether because Zenn is naturally paranoid or clumsy writing, who's at fault for almost everything is apparent pretty quickly and the motivation behind it clicks about half way through. This again leads to a sort of simmering frustration as everyone tiptoes around the obvious. The world is fascinating--its very 'wild west'/frontier oriented, but the cloister and its wild aliens make it interesting.

I liked Fane quite a bit. Yes he was a jerk, but its not like Zenn was making many friends with her attitude (which given her environment its a wonder she can talk to anyone at all). I loved Hamish--I look forward to seeing more of his 'independent thinking'. Schoon is careful to keep romance a very small part of this novel. Zenn doesn't really understand it and at any rate is too busy wondering if she's gone insane or if she'll fail her three tests.

Overall this was an interesting if uneven read for me. I'm hoping that in the next book, since Zenn won't have her exams to worry about, the book will be less concerned with the everyday minutiae and focused on Zenn's search for answers.
( )

I am sure a lot of people are like me and wanted to be a Veterinarian when they grew up or they dreamed of what it is like in space, they wanted a cat-like "talking" best-friend/pet... (okay, maybe not that last part.) I know that I would have wanted to BE Zenn when I was much younger. I am going to analyze my feelings in separate sections for this one, much like my review for Angelfall. As with anything there are some faults, but I was able to overlook them and love this book completely.

My expectations for this one were pretty high, as with any pretty cover I pick up. I hadn't expected it to move me as much as it did. At times, I will admit, it felt a little disjointed in Zenn's overall story. I would have liked a lot more background. I would absolutely love a prequel or a side-story. Maybe include some new creatures, Zenn's relationship with her parents, more Haymish, and MORE KATIE. Seriously. I loved Katie.

Katie was the ultimate character for me. She is a rikkaset, a cat-like creature that can speak and turn invisible by her light-reflecting fur. I am a cat lover. Probably like most cat lovers, I wish mine could talk. Katie is deaf, but knows sign language. She saved the day, as all cat-like creatures do.

The first few chapters feel incredibly long. There is so much detail. From the description of the color of the dust to all of her surroundings there is a lot to visualize. Zenn turns out to be incredibly observant and intelligent. In Zenn's world we meet giant beasts and alien insect beings that have language translators around their necks in order to communicate with others. This is where Hamish comes in. Schoon does a brilliant job at mastering social classes and humanity's curse to judge others by their appearance. Zenn doesn't conform to anyone else's views about different lifeforms and befriends Hamish by teaching him and helping him survive outside of his element. By the end of the first few chapters you really get a feel for Zenn's character. At times it can be a bit descriptive, but I enjoyed the uniqueness.

We are told near the beginning that Zenn's mother went missing and is assumed dead after being swallowed by one of the largest animals in the galaxy... But the story keeps you guessing. We see Zenn's feelings about her parents relationship before the accident happens, and her father's behavior afterwards-which is understandable. Zenn's determination to keep everyone out is also understandable, she tries to maintain her focus on her career as an exovet.

Liam is the "love interest". He is nice, and a bit mysterious.The romance doesn't happen until the very end... well sort of... Just the way I like it in young adult novels!

There are tons of elements to this book. In Zenn's eagerness to become an exovet she must go through rigorous training and take multiple tests in order to safely take care of animals on her own. We are introduced to many characters and witness Zenn learn life lessons... the hard way... to discover her true feelings about friendship, and ultimately what it is like to be a unique person and to have such a specific goal at a young age.

This was my first science-fiction novel...(!) I thought the world Zenn lived in was wonderful. Zenn, herself was inspiring. She defended herself and her beliefs on numerous occasions. I hope more people get to read this book, especially teens who are interested in living in outer space. ( )

Thanks to Netgalley.com and Angry Robot for allowing me to read this title.

This was a very interesting read. I liked it, but it wasn't quite there for me with the descriptions to give me a great view of the world. I will watch for the next book and look forward to seeing what happens. There are definitely those who will love it. ( )

Please note that I did not finish reading this title these are just my thoughts as to why I didn't continue. No rating as I might decide to give it another try later.

I read through 31% of Zenn Scarlett and have decided to abandon the title for the time being. I was not enjoying the reading experience for various reasons and these are those reasons that I can point out up to the point when I stopped reading. The opening was very interesting/engaging by pulling me into the crisis of what occurred with Zenn's mother. However, quickly after when we switch to present time I had a big issue with everything. The style of the writing didn't read well to me. Some of the sentences seemed overlong, and the way the thoughts were structured seemed a chore to read. In several instances I stopped to read back over sections. I personally didn't like Zenn's personality, behavior, and general attitude - this made it hard for me to want to continue or care about what was going to happen in the story or to her. The biggest problem for me however was the large amount of 'information dumps' that were happening. I understand that the world/society/backstory needed to be setup but it was so heavily detailed that I felt like the story was completely living in the past rather than concerned with the present. The character Hamish became a convenient way for more information to be dumped on the reader.

It's not a secret that I was looking forward to reading Zenn Scarlett. Colonization of other planets (especially Mars) is one of my favorite topics in science fiction novels. Add to that the fact that Christian Schoon kept teasing us in his comments and tweets by throwing out names of unusual animals featured in a book and you got one very excited bookworm (aka. me).

The amount of exotic animals did not disappoint me. There were rikkasets, crypto-plasmodial seepdemons, Greater Kiran sunkillers, yotes and many more. In fact, there were so many animals that sometimes I felt overwhelmed. New species kept appearing and I just could not picture how do they look like. And Christian Schoon does not rush his narration. Everything is slow, from worldbuilding to descriptions.

Through Zenn Scarlett's impatience there are some big lessons to be learned. When to be sure of yourself and when you need to take a break. And great view about aliens species and people's antipathy towards them. On a planet that is not your home world, who is really an alien?

A lot of things can be said about Zenn Scarlett. It's slow at the beginning and Zenn, main character, can be irritating with her mistakes and overconfidence. Still it's very original and if you're patient it pays of in the end because Zenn Scarlett is an intriguing start to a new series. I will be looking forward to the sequel Under Nameless Stars.

IN THE END...
If you like young adult science fiction novels with original plots, unusual animals and are patient reader who do not mind if story takes time to develop, then Zenn Scarlett is the book for you.

Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. ( )